Phil Gwoke

Featured Keynote Programs

While career opportunities abound in trades and manufacturing, many young people today are unaware of the possibilities. Over two million jobs are destined to go unfilled over the next decade, and the average manufacturing company is losing $4.6 million annually because of this skills shortage. We’ve found, however, that the generations topic has a role to play here. In this session, we’ll equip you with the insights you need to prepare your jobsite for the next generation of workers. We’ll discuss generational expectations for the workplace, Gen Z and Millennial recruiting strategies, and how to engage Xer and Boomer leaders.

Healthcare workers have layers of complexities to work through when engaging with patients. Dealing with one’s health can be a confusing, emotional, or at times embarrassing process, so even the smallest blunder can send patients away in frustration. Adding a level of generational understanding to workers’ communication toolkit will make a difference in patient care. In this session, we’ll dissect the expectations and communication styles of each generation and how it all translates to healthcare. Expect to walk away with a greater understanding of how to handle issues around professionalism, bedside manners, trust, collaboration, and more, as well as actionable takeaways to put into practice the very next day.

We’ve all seen the headlines… “Move over Millennials, here comes Gen Z!” Gen Z is the topic du jour, and for good reason. They make up the majority of interns and recent college grads in today’s workplace, and they will continue to for the next decade. They aren’t just a group of phone-obsessed teenagers—they’re also our digital-native employees. Seventy-four percent of Gen Zers know they struggle with in-person communication, and 54% want a leader who encourages them more than anything. There are very real generational differences that will directly impact your workplace, and we want to help you work through them. In this session, we cover who this young generation is and, more importantly, why they approach work differently from their generational predecessors. And we’ll show that neither Millennials, Xers, nor Boomers need move over for Gen Z, because there’s strength in a cohesive, multigenerational team.

Selling and marketing to four generations
To effectively reach customers or a broader targeted audience, it’s essential to understand them beyond their income, education, and spending habits. While these are indeed valuable factors, an often-neglected perspective is the generational lens. Understanding each generation’s behavior in the marketplace and how their unique needs play out in decision making is essential for selling and marketing to all generations. This session will help you learn what approaches and techniques appeal to each generation by offering hands-on advice for marketers and salespeople alike who want to reach a diverse demographic no matter the generation.

In the finance industry, the last thing you want is for wealth to change hands then walk straight out the door. So how can you retain clients with diverse expectations rooted in different generational backgrounds? When Wealth Changes Hands will teach you how to engage with clients across generations through a finance lens. Learning the position of each client’s financial outlook is a crucial part of relationship management, yet we find that many times professionals use the type of communication they prefer rather than what their client prefers. We’ll provide some practical tips to help you tailor your approach to suit Boomers, Xers, Millennials, and even Gen Z.

Millennials now make up a majority of the workforce—yet somehow managers are still puzzling over how to best recruit, retain, and engage this confounding generation. In this program, we’ll demystify the Millennial management conundrum and explore how to streamline communication and collaboration across Boomers, Xers, Millennials, and even Gen Z. Best practices from technology to manufacturing, hospitality, and other industries provide real-world case studies of successful Millennial engagement. This comprehensive look at management strategies gives leaders the awareness, tools, and tactics to unlock Millennials’ full potential while managing career growth and expectations.

While Millennials and Gen Z continue to draw media attention, other demographic shifts are afoot: Baby Boomers are retiring. There are now fewer Boomers in the US labor force than there are Millennials or Gen Xers, and 47% of business owners over 65 don’t have a transition plan. In this session, we’ll explore tools and strategies to foster mentorship between Boomers and other generations. We will prepare you to facilitate knowledge transfer across generational lines before Boomers graduate to their next stage of life—taking their valuable institutional knowledge and experience with them.

Four distinct generations are working together shoulder to shoulder, each with a unique set of attitudes, values, and work styles. To become stronger as a team, it’s important to understand these inherent generational dynamics, discerning what motivates each generation and how they communicate is essential to overcoming barriers and capitalizing on strengths. Tapping into the power and perspective of each generation helps everyone feel empowered, valued, and understood. But are you equipped to convert this form of diversity from an obstacle to an opportunity? This session will explain who the generations are and the why behind their differences, address the stereotypes that can cloud our judgement, and present solutions to best engage every generation.